Thank You George Will

George Will's article in Newsweek makes an argument that I have been making for a long time. Babies with Down syndrome have the same right to life as healthy babies. The difference between how liberals and conservatives view life explains differing views on this issue.

A liberal thinks that a pregnant woman that knows her baby will have Down syndrome should have access to an abortion. They bemoan a life that is characterized by health problems and constant observation. The parents will never be able to brag to their suburban neighbors about the elite schools that their child has been accepted. The child will never compete in beauty pageants, win the prom crown, or appear on American Idol. What a ghastly life! It is a life that should not be allowed.

George Will's column about a boy named Jon (luckily born before Roe v Wade) captures conservatives view of life.

"Jon experiences life's three elemental enjoyments—loving, being loved and ESPN. For Jon, as for most normal American males, the rest of life is details."

Stories like this provide for an opportunity to sit and think about the purpose of life. Will's argument is strong because it appeals to an individuals reasoning faculty. People must either accept or refute his appeal to their reason as opposed to a much easier reflexive recoil to the fire and brimstone arguments postulated by the religious right. If all Americans could read Will's column, and others like it, then I think many of us would view the world differently.